Macy To Resign From Agency Serving People With Intellectual Disabilities

Terrence W. Macy announced Monday he is resigning as commissioner of the Department of Developmental Services in early January after running the $1.1 billion agency serving people with intellectual disabilities since Gov. Dannel P.Malloy appointed him in 2011.

Terrence W. Macy announced Monday he is resigning as commissioner of the Department of Developmental Services in early January after running the $1.1 billion agency serving people with intellectual disabilities since Gov. Dannel P. Malloy appointed him in 2011.

Macy, former owner of a company that operated group homes, entered public life at a time when waiting lists for residential services was growing and a debate over the fate of the Southbury Training School was simmering. Four years later, those issues remain, though the department has fostered a greater culture of self-reliance for some of its 19,000 clients. Services for people with autism have also been expanded, but there is large and growing waiting list for the program.

Advocates earlier this month announced a campaign to press for the closing of the Southbury campus in five years. Connecticut's largest remaining institution for developmentally disabled people has gradually being downsized, with 318 residents and 935 state workers. But Macy and Malloy have stopped short of committing to the five-year timeframe.

The DDS has one of the biggest per capita budgets in the country, but demands on that money have been fierce, and group-home providers haven't gotten a rate hike in years.

The Courant in 2013 documented lapses of care, some of them fatal, in both publicly and privately run residential facilities, and Macy said at the time that the DDS was in the midst of moving away from the group-home model in favor of more in-home services and family supports.

But waiting lists for out-of-home placements for clients have topped 2,000 people, and advocates say that too many clients still reside in institutional settings.

In a statement, Malloy said Macy's leadership "has helped DDS carry out (the) core mission" of helping people realize their potential and live full lives.

"I appreciate his service to the state and thank him for what he has provided in this core function of state government," Malloy said.

In turn, Macy said, he created "a comprehensive five-year plan" and that "many of the 25 goals have been accomplished or are well on their way."

Among these was a move toward more "person-centered" services that better tailor treatment and support to the individual. Macy said several million dollars was recently earmarked to help some of the most vulnerable people on the waiting lists, but advocates say there is a massive need to put programs in place for people with aging caregivers.

Macy said more than 800 clients have been trained to speak out and exercise their rights as "self advocates," and "DDS staff have been working with 35 family advocacy groups to provide them with a forum where they can develop common advocacy goals and strategies."

Leslie Simoes, executive director of The ARC Connecticut, the state's largest advocacy group for people with intellectual disabilities, said Macy showed his commitment "by inviting families to the table and giving them a voice in the direction of the department."

"That hadn't happened in years – and it matters to families," said Simoes. "I hope that will not get lost."

Macy said it has "been a privilege to work along so many talented and extraordinary individuals, including our agency staff, persons supported by DDS, their families, staff from other state agencies, and our private and public providers."